At about 109 km from Cancun and 43 km from Playa del Carmen and 22 km from the Mayan ruins of Tulum, there is a very attractive beach set amidst the lush green of the Riviera Maya. A completely calm bay surrounded by jungle, with shallow waters making it an ideal place for a holiday with children. The water here is so exceedingly clear and the beach features so fine sand that it seems talcum powder. In addition to its tranquility, it is one of the favorite trips to the Tulum beach areas, since it is a cherished haven for those running away from excessive tourism. This site is a wonderful place for snorkeling and diving, because of the clarity of its waters and abundant marine life. Lately, Chemuyil and all areas around the Mayan pyramids of Tulum, have had construction activity. The entrance to the public beach at Chemuyil has not very good signaling, and is very hidden, usually people get lost and take some time to find it but once arriving at the place, the beautiful view is a great reward. There’s no place in the world with the clarity of Chemuyil’s seawater. In addition, there are sun loungers and huts available for the general public with no charge. Chemuyil is one of the secrets of the Riviera Maya. It is well worth making a stop here on your way to or from the Mayan ruins of Tulum. There is a rocky area in the bay, which is easily accessible, where you may notice a stream of cold water into the sea from a nearby cenote (sinkhole) that you can also visit. The area surrounding the Mayan ruins of Tulum, has abundant underground rivers and cenotes. In Chemuyil, there are very few, but rich and cozy beachfront restaurants offering local cuisine and excellent seafood and fresh fish. From the area of the Mayan pyramids of Tulum to Chemuyil there are some camping sites with basic services like, health, for the adventurous tourists.

There are beautiful hidden places we do not know when we take an express tour to Tulum. Normally the tours to the Mayan archeological site of Tulum, limit your time, because they have defined routes and schedules, which barely give you time to explore the Mayan ruins of Tulum and then you immediately go back to your hotel. A good alternative to see more, are the excursions to Tulum on your own. It is a way to know a lot more beyond Tulum Mayan pyramids. When it comes to lunchtime, head to Bahia de Punta Soliman, and stop at a delightful one-hundred-percent  family restaurant with a thatched roof and sand floor, called Oscar and Lalo, which serves incredibly versatile cuisine; succulent ceviche, soups and fresh salads, fine seafood, traditional Mexican dishes, regional dishes, grilled, and excellent dishes of the house in an exotic natural environment. You will simply love it!. Here, you can peel your shrimp Jumbo yourself and lick your fingers while eating. All shrimp are the catch of the day and all meals are prepared at the time. Do not miss the mango shrimp cocktail, it is a true delight. The purpose of the Oscar and Lalos menu is to make all customers want to comeback. Here, you can snorkel and enjoy the cayaks in the beautiful beacj of the restaurant.

When you go on vacaction to Tulum, take a day to drive on the coast road south of the Zone of  Hotels in Tulum that leads to the entrance of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, in the Riviera Maya, Mexico. Straddling northern and central Quintana Roo, this UNESCO World Heritage Site comprises 1.3 million acres of jungle, marsh, mangrove forest, Caribbean beaches and a 110-kilometer-stretch of coral reef, all of which are rich in flora and fauna. The biosphere reserve was established by government decree in 1986 to protect these incredibly fragile ecosystems.
Sian Ka’an, which means “where the sky is born in Maya,” is home to 103 different mammals and over 350 resident and migratory species of birds, including herons, ibis, roseate spoonbills, wood storks and frigate birds. This reserve in the Riviera Maya, Mexico also has a large breeding population of ospreys and protects a tiny colony of the rare jabiru stork, the largest bird in the Americas.
Include a day trip to Sian Ka’an in your Tulum Vacation Itinerary, this will  give you the opportunity to know more than Tulum Beach and ruins only in the Riviera Maya. Visit at least two of the reserve’s 23 archaeological sites, Muyil and Xlapak. You’ll also get an overview of the reserve’s jungle and wetland ecosystems and take a boat ride through the lagoons to see the birds.

A 20-minute drive to the south of Tulum ruins lies Muyil, also known as Chunyaxche, an archaeological site in the forest on the shores of a lagoon that shares the same name. The largest archaeological site found to date in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, Muyil was an ancient trade enclave with links to cities in the Yucatán and Central America. Over 1,000 years ago, Mayan traders were shipping goods to and from the coast by means of a natural canal in the mangroves that they dredged and widened.
Many of the buildings at Muyil are still covered by jungle creepers but the principal temple known as El Castillo has been restored. Wildlife is abundant in the surrounding forest and gleaming blue morph butterflies, the agouti or tepescuintle, a rodent the size of a small dog and flocks of parrots are often spotted. Visitors can follow a nature trail through the trees to the mangroves at the water’s edge and climb a wooden observation tower for spectacular views of the forest canopy and the wetlands.
Getting there: Take Highway 307 to the south, the entrance to Muyil is clearly marked. Local fishermen from the Muyil cooperative also offer boat trips through the lagoons and mangroves of Sian Ka’an to the coast. If you are spending your vacaction in Tulum, this is an incredible day to see more than Tulum beatiful beach and nature.

During your Tulum vacation, embark on your own jungle adventure! Forty-two kilometers inland from Tulum beach, an hour from Playa del Carmen and a 90-minute drive from Cancún, Cobá is one of the Maya World’s largest archaeological sites and has an extension of around 70 square kilometers. The city is clustered around five shallow lakes, which would have provided fresh water in ancient times, and its name in Maya means “waters ruffled by the wind.”
The city reached its peak during the Mayan Classic period, A.D. 250-900, when it was a regional capital inhabited by up to 70,000 people. An important trade center, it also distributed goods to and from the eastern seaboard, Central America and cities in the Yucatán.
Archaeologists believe that Cobá had links with the Guatemalan city of Tikal, pointing to certain architectural similarities in the earliest buildings at the site, for example, pyramids, false arches, lintels, huge, roughly cut blocks and a coating of red stucco plaster. Some later structures at the site also resemble Tulum Mayan ruins.
The most famous building at Cobá is the Nohoch Mul pyramid. Standing 42 meters high, it is the tallest pyramid in the northern Yucatán. Other clusters of buildings at the site are the Cobá group, the oldest in the city, La Iglesia, another 24-meter-high pyramid crowned by a temple, the Ball Court, Las Pinturas, Xaibé or the Crossroads Pyramid and the Macanxoc group which has nine circular altars and eight stelae.
Cobá is also famous for the sacbes or Mayan causeways that radiate from the heart of the city. To date, 45 of these roads have been detected at the site including the longest sacbe in the Maya World, which links it to Yaxuná, a lesser city in the Chichén Itzá hinterland, 101 kilometers away.
Getting there: Take the turnoff marked “Coba” in the Zone of  Hotels in Tulum.

During your Tulum vacation take a day to catch a glimpse of the strange underground world of the Riviera Maya without getting wet by visiting Aktun Chen (very close to Tulum). Located in the jungle two miles south of Akumal, this park is famous for its caves, thought to be five million years old. One of the caves has been floodlit so that visitors can see the stalactite and stalagmite formations and an underground lake. Aktun Chen is one of the most amazing tours around Tulum area.
Getting there: Take Highway 307 north from Tulum Mayan Ruins. Ask your travel Agent for lodging options. Tulum has Hotels for all budgets.

Akumal is a popular spot for divers since the 1950s. It is 20km from Tulum, in the Riviera Maya, drawn by its beautiful offshore reefs and rich marine life. Akumal actually means “place of the turtle” in Maya and wherever you look you’ll see turtles, on sign posts, t-shirts and in the water swimming peacefully amongst the corals. And turtles are just the start of the colorful creatures you’ll spot in the crystal-clear waters. Parrot fish, blue tangs and even eagle rays can often be seen even in the shallowest of water.
Akumal is a great place to visit during your vacation in Tulum. Yet the charms of this peaceful little community of small hotels, condos and vacation homes have a wider appeal. The sheltered, palm-lined beach is perfect for families and local marinas offer catamaran trips, kayak and sport fishing excursions. The track north from Akumal Bay brings you to Half Moon Bay and the Yalkú caleta or inlet, both of which are good snorkeling spots.
Getting there: Take Highway 307 north from Tulum.

During your vacation in Tulum, visit Xel-Há by car. Xel-Ha Park lies a few minutes only to the north of Tulum Mayan Ruins. No matter if you are staying in Cancun or in la Riviera Maya, Tulum-Xel Ha is one of the most popular Tours. Xel Ha is a chain of cenotes, lagoons and inlets nourished by fresh water from underground streams which mixes with the waters of the Caribbean. Fish from nearby reefs congregate in the lagoons to feed and breed and local people proudly call Xel-Ha the world’s largest natural aquarium. Whether the claim is true or not, the crystalline waters are ideal for a close encounter with rainbow-colored reef dwellers such as solitary butterfly, trigger and angel fish and shoals of porkfish and French grunts.
Snorkeling and swimming are permitted in designated areas of the park and you can float through the water on an over-sized inner tube. There are hammocks and palapas, restaurants, shops, restrooms and lockers.
Paths wind through the jungle around the inlet leading to secluded pools, the lazy river, the cliff, the Mayan cave, the dolphin area and other attractions. For a breathtaking view of the turquoise waters, walk back across the floating bridge at the mouth of the inlet. You’ll see larger fish such as snappers and jacks.
Xel-Ha was also a Post-Classic port and trade enclave. The archaeological site is across the highway from the park and you pay a separate admission charge to visit it. During excavations in the park, archaeologists found traces of Mayan occupation on the shores of the inlet, including temples and offerings at a shrine in an underwater cave, thought to be in honor of the Diving God, a mysterious deity that was the focus of a regional cult. There are Many hotels in Tulum to stay.
Getting there: Highway 307 to the north of Tulum Ruins.